


Deresute Femslash Week 2019

by lovelaika



Category: THE iDOLM@STER
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Anxiety, Deresute Femslash Week 2019, F/F, Not Idols AU, Smoking, Training
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-01-23 07:35:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21316537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovelaika/pseuds/lovelaika
Summary: Deresute Femslash Week Prompts:Day 1 - Cafe DateDay 2 - Training TogetherDay 3 - Performing Together
Relationships: Abe Nana/Sato Shin, Honda Mio/Shibuya Rin, Sunazuka Akira/Yumemi Riamu
Kudos: 19





	1. Anxiogenic (Akira/Riamu Cafe Date)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Akira and Riamu are a couple years older here

“So like… what’s your deal?”

“My deal?”

“Yeah, you’re here pretty much every day on Twitter or Insta or whatever for a couple hours. And you never order anything.”

Riamu was sinking further into the cushy leather chair she always sat in.

“Well… I…”

“I know you’re not writing a screenplay because all you ever bring is your phone. I mean, it’s probably the free Wi-Fi, right? But people usually, like, use that to look for a job or something? It’s been over a month now.”

The girl was taller than her (most people were) and she seemed just out of high school. She was still in her Starbucks uniform. Her name tag said Akira.

“Uh…”

She was sweating now, frantically looking away, and felt her throat closing up.

“...Uh-huh. What’s your handle?”

Riamu couldn’t speak, only show her phone to Akira. The girl grabbed it to get a closer look. 

“‘yumemichan’? Damn, that’s a lotta followers though. Are you an e-girl or something?”

Akira flopped down onto the next chair over and started to scroll through Riamu’s tweets. 

Riamu had to get out. She was panicking.

With bag in hand, she sprung out of the chair and spun on her heels to face the exit.

“Ihavetogorightnowthankyou!”

And practically sprinted out the door toward the train station.

“Wait! I still have your… phone…”

* * *

Riamu Yumemi wanted to die. At least, more than usual. Haha.

She, in her panic and infinite stupidity, left her phone with some rando at a Starbucks. She might as well have given her a loaded gun and directions to her apartment. Her life was on that thing. More importantly, her _feed_ was on there. 

What if that girl starts posting on her account!? There was some photos in her camera roll that, if even one got out, she would be ruined. _Ruined!_ Just give it all up right then and there.

* * *

She couldn’t remember if she ever fell asleep that night. She kept her eyes glued to her account all night. Akira didn’t post anything.

Maybe she was nice! And she’d just give the phone back no questions asked. No peeking at selfies or her real name or private accounts. Easy.

“Yeah, you can have it back. Jeez, stop and take a breath for a minute.”

“Oh my god, thank you.”

“But I wanna know something first.”

“Fuck me.”

* * *

Akira told Riamu she wasn’t actually working that day, just that she came to give back her phone. They were sitting at a table in the back corner of the cafe, hidden from the large glass windows around the entrance.

“So are you, like, famous? For what?”

“I wouldn’t go that far… I just talk about idols and post selfies sometimes. You looked at my account, didn’t you?”

“I mean, I did. But it also felt kinda weird since I accidentally stole your phone and all.”

“Great, question answered. Can I have it back?”

“Hold up, now. I’m not done yet.”

“Why not!?”

“You didn’t answer me yesterday! What’s your deal?”

Riamu really looked at this girl for the first time. She was really lanky. Skinny all over with sharp facial features. She was intimidating, to say the least. Even her teeth looked… predatory, almost.

“My deal is I want to go.”

“Go where? I don’t think you have a job. Or go to school. You’re seriously here every day and I’m not the only one who’s noticed.”

“Maybe I do go to school. Maybe I’m studying to be a nurse at night.”

“Uh-huh. How’s that going? How many units do you have? How old are you, even?”

Riamu slouched down in her seat, staring at the table instead of Akira.

“That’s-! I-It’s not important.”

“Okay, how about this?”

Akira reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out an iPhone. She showed Riamu her profile page.

“I’m Akira Sunazuka. My handle is @same_akira and I talk about fashion and video games. I’m a lesbian. I graduated high school last year, but I’m not going to college. Instead I work here and stream at night on Twitch. I don’t really have a lot of followers, though.”

Riamu looked down into her lap, going back and forth about what she should say. Akira was really pushy. But she had a right to know about her, right? She really wanted her phone back.

“Come on, it’s only fair tha-”

“My name is Riamu. I’m 23 years old and unemployed. I dropped out of nursing school four years ago.”

She felt herself getting short of breath again.

“I’ve been trying to become an idol for years now. My parents told me to find a real job or they’d kick me out, but nobody will sign me so I started lying and wandering the city while they think I’m working. There’s free wi-fi here, so...”

Her vision started blurring, she wasn’t sure if it was because of tears or another panic attack.

“Oh. I’m sorry, I uh... Listen I didn’t-”

“I don’t have any friends, not even online, because I push people away. My doctor said I should start seeing a therapist because I have panic attacks and self-destructive tendencies and...”

“Hey… Riamu, are you okay? You don’t...”

She was getting light-headed, she tried to listen to Akira but it felt like her hearing was going in and out. She looked up, wide-eyed, and her vision was swimming. Her heart was going to burst.

Akira was still talking to her. She saw her get up and grab her arm.

* * *

She and Riamu were in the bathroom. Riamu had stopped heaving, but still hadn’t really said anything. Akira quietly put a pink phone on the sink next to her.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, it happens.”

They both sat quietly for a few more minutes. Akira stared at her phone and didn’t really know how to break the awkward silence.

* * *

_ *ka-ping* _

Riamu’s phone lit up. She looked at the notification and started typing.

> _ You received a message from @yumemichan! _
> 
> **yumemichan:** Why the hell would you follow me after all that?

Akira considered her reply. Riamu still wasn’t looking at her. Someone started knocking on the bathroom door.

> **same_akira:** idk, i thought it would be nice.
> 
> **yumemichan:** Weirdo, I bet you’re into helpless chicks.
> 
> **same_akira:** what can i say, i’m a proud morosexual.
> 
> **yumemichan:** Well, you’re in luck because you’ve found the dumbest fucking girl on Earth!

They knocked again, impatiently. Akira looked up from her screen.

“Gimme a minute!”

She looked back down and saw that Riamu had already sent another DM.

> **yumemichan:** Today’s already a total disaster…
> 
> **same_akira:** eh, i’ve been on worse dates.
> 
> **yumemichan:** LOL!!!!!!!! Was that your plan this whole time?
> 
> **same_akira:** not really, but i wouldn’t be against it.
> 
> **yumemichan:** How about we try this again. Hello, I’m Riamu! A well-adjusted adult here to purchase some coffee.
> 
> **same_akira:** hello valued customer, my name is akira. Which Starbucks™ Flavored™ Coffee™ Product™ would you like?

The woman pounded on the door this time.

> **same_akira:** we should probably not do this in the bathroom.
> 
> **yumemichan:** LMAO imagine being like 40 and explaining this is how we met.
> 
> **same_akira:** “i still remember the smell of piss every time i see her...”

Akira looked up again and saw Riamu fixing her now-mussed pink hair in the tiny mirror.

When she was ready, Akira unlocked the door and they walked back to their table.


	2. Habit (Nana/Shin Training Together)

“You really... shouldn’t smoke.”

“Yeah? Why not?”

“We did… just…”

Nana paused to take a swig from her water bottle. She felt the sweat dripping from her bangs, slowly trickling down her face and onto the bench below. She took a few more seconds to catch her breath.

“Just run a few kilometers…”

“And if you ran more often you wouldn’t be so tuckered out after a nice jog.”

“Even then, we’re in public. That’s not very idol-like.”

Shin took another drag from her cigarette.

“Well, we’re not all from planet Usamin. I gotta take a break from Sugar Sugar Heart sometimes.”

“Part of being an idol is always being on. It’s in our contract, we always have to be thinking about our ‘image’.”

“Are you ‘on’ when it’s just us?”

Nana suddenly heard the seriousness in Shin’s voice. She turned to look up at her partner. Shin wasn’t smiling anymore.

“Not…” she looked away. “Not when it’s just us. Come on, you know that. I'm safe when I’m around you. Just, out here, you never know where a paparazzo might be hiding...”

“Well then I hope they get a shot of this, too.”

Shin bent over to kiss her. Nana closed her eyes and leaned in. By Shin’s standards, it was fairly chaste, but she still let it sit until just before it felt _too_ long.

“Yuck, you taste like ash.”

Shin put out her cigarette on the bench and flicked the butt perfectly into an ashtray.

“I don’t know how you got so good at that…”

“Practice. Now come on, you need to keep pace with me on the way back!”

Shin got up and started to jog back down the path.

“Can’t we take the train? I don’t want to miss my show!”

“Hurry and we’ll make it!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't smoke after you exercise, kids. It's very bad for you.


	3. Butterflies (Mio/Rin Performing Together)

Mio never really stopped getting nervous before a show.

She knew that very rarely was there anything to get that nervous about. She knew all the words, all the moves, and all her cues, but something still always tugged at her. It had been there long before New Generations’ first disastrous show, now long in the rearview.

Rin and Uzuki were with her in the dressing room. Her anxiety had compelled her to finish getting ready long before them. So she sat slumped in the chair, staring at the ground, face pale as she tried to psyche herself up.

Nothing ever goes wrong. 

Even when it does, everyone works together to make it all go smoothly.

She got away with it because back then they were nobodies playing at a mall to maybe a dozen people.

What if New Generations broke up for good?

Between all their side projects, their relationship had already taken a backseat.

NewGen was old news now. They’d officially been around for multiple years by this point.

Her stomach started to churn. Her hands were clammy.

“Nervous again?”

Mio’s head shot up.

Rin had pulled up a chair next to her, both of them already in their poofy stage costumes.

“Ha! Me? No way, just trying to get in the right headspace. Meditation and all that.”

“Do you… usually get so sweaty when you meditate?”

“It’s very intense meditation. I need my chakras _blitzed_ for the show!”

“Uh-huh… well I’m a little bit nervous.”

“Seriously? We must have done this a hundred times by now, though.”

“Yeah, but, like. I still worry about how I… fit in with you two.”

“What? Shiburin, you’re so good though! You’re easily the best singer and you started all this with basically no experience!”

“Not like that… more like. It’s like… you’re so bubbly and energetic and you always get the crowd so excited for the show. And Uzuki is, like…”

They both looked over to her. She never realized it but, Uzuki would mime their routines while doing her hair with a big toothy smile on her face.

“You know, like that. I feel kind of dour compared to you two.”

“Well, I can’t speak for everyone else, but I always feel happy when I see you, Shiburin!”

Rin stared at her seemingly unconvinced, so she tried to elaborate.

“You’re like the tether that keeps us two space cadets here on Earth. You aren’t a big ol’ goofball, but you know when to slip in a quick joke and you always play along with us and you’re super smart and… wise. And you’re pretty to boot! Dare I say, _classically beautiful.”_

Rin looked stumped.

“Hm. I mean, I _guess.”_

Rin looked back to the door, chewing over everything Mio had just said.

“I guess that’s why we made you the leader. Thank you, Mio.”

“Aw, I love you Shiburin! Come on in!”

Mio practically tackled her for a hug. It was an awkward angle, so Rin’s face ended squished up against Mio’s chest.

Rin muffled into her dress, “...I love you too Mio…”

Mio slowly pulled out of the hug. 

“What was that?”

Rin was cherry red now. She cleared her throat.

“Uh, nothing.”

Mio realized she wasn’t sweating anymore. Her stomach had settled. 

Maybe this was why they were all still together. Even if the group broke up or the whole company collapsed, they’d still be friends. It wasn’t even really about the fans. Mio just wanted to be with her friends and to live up to their expectations.

“Uzuki, are you ready? We need to be out there soon to get prepped.”

“Yep! Let’s all do our best out there!”

They all looked around at each other. Mio blushed a bit when she saw Rin turn a light shade of red as they locked eyes.


End file.
